Download Position, Direction, and Speed

Position, Direction, and Speed
Mrs. E
April 27
Force and Motion
Position
• The position of an object is
its location relative to
another object (the
reference point).
• Example “above”, “below”,
“beside”, “behind”, “ahead
of” plus the distance from
the other object.
• The distance (length)
from the reference point
changes when the object
moves.
Point of Reference
• A stationary location in which the motion is
measured.
Direction
• Direction of motion is the
course or path that an
object is moving and can
be determined by reading
a compass using the terms
“north”, “south”, “east”, or
“west.”
• Direction can also be
described using the terms
“right”, or “left,”
“forward,” or “toward”
relative to another object,
or “up”, or “down” relative
to Earth.
Speed
• A measure of how fast an object is moving.
Balanced and Unbalanced
forces
Mrs. E
April 27
Forces and Motion
Unbalanced forces change the rate and
direction of the motion of objects.
• Several forces can act on an object at the
same time.
• Sometimes forces are balanced which means
that they are equal in strength but opposite
in direction.
• Balanced forces do not change the motion of
objects only unbalanced forces cause
changes in motion.
• An unbalanced force is one that does not
have another force of equal magnitude and
opposite direction off-setting it.
• Rate of motion is the speed of the object or
how fast or slow the object is moving.
• Unbalanced forces can change the rate or
direction of motion of an object in different
ways:
Sir Isaac Newton
• Sir Isaac Newton (1642 1727) was an English
scientist who made great
contributions to physics,
optics, math and
astronomy. Among
elementary and middleschool students, he is
best known for his Three
Laws of Motions and the
Universal Law of
Gravitation. Have you
heard the story about an
apple dropping on
Newton's head?
Newton’s 1st Law – Object at rest
• An object at rest tends to
stay at rest, and an object in
constant motion tends to
stay in motion, unless acted
upon by an unbalanced force.
1st Law - Objects at rest
• If an unbalanced
force acts on an
object at rest the
object will move in the
direction of the force.
• A stronger force (push
or pull) will make it
move faster.
Newton’s 2nd law – unbalanced
forces
• The unbalanced force on an
object is equal to the mass
of the object multiplied by
its acceleration: F = m x a
2nd Law - Object in Motion
• If an object is moving,
an unbalanced force
will change the
motion of the object in
different ways
depending on how the
force is applied. The
unbalanced force may
speed up the object,
slow it down, make it
change directions, or
stop it.
Objects in Motion
– If the force is applied in the same
direction as the object is moving, the
object will speed it up.
– If the force is applied in the opposite
direction as the object is moving, the
object will slow it down or stop it.
– If the force is applied to the side of the
moving object, the object will turn.
Newton’s 3rd law – opposite but
equal
• All forces occur in pairs, and these two
forces are equal in strength and opposite in
direction.